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Eiji Kikumaru/Playing Styles
Eiji is a serve-and-volleyer, as well as one of the most vibrant and flashy characters. He is mostly renowned for his acrobatic play and his upbeat personality. He is, by nature, a doubles tennis player, but he has shown that he is a more than capable singles player if needed. In doubles, when Eiji's up at the net he usually controls the game. With Oishi at the baseline, this pair can make plays that earns them the title of the "Golden Pair". In the beginning of the series, Eiji's stamina (or rather, the lack of) was his biggest weakness. During the St.Rudolph match against the Yoshiro Akazawa/Kaneda pair, it got to the point where Eiji had to stand still for 2 games to recover his stamina, and it still wasn't enough to keep him going for the rest of the game. However, by playing doubles with Momo and Fuji, as well as self-training himself in a low-oxygen area, he was able to not only overcome his weakness but also mature enough to become stronger than Oishi. Acrobatic Play (アクロバティックプレイ) Not just for flash, Eiji's flexible body allows him to reach balls with a touch of flair that few can replicate. His graceful diving volleys and flips astonish the spectators and often gets grudging praise from his opponents. Australian Formation (オーストラリアン・フォーメーション) A specialty formation Oishi and his double's partner Eiji Kikumaru perform. It involves standing directly on the center line and confusing the opponents as to which way each player will move when the ball is placed into the opposing court. It requires extreme knowledge of one's double's partner. Motion Vision Eiji's eyes are so sharp that he can even catch the minute movements of a ball in motion. Kikumaru Beam (菊丸ビーム) The Kikumaru Beam is a sharp volley that is hit in the air by Eiji with his right hand on the backhand side of his body, pinpointing the ball to the place where the opponents are not standing. Moon Volley Though this is Oishi's move, Eiji uses the topspin lob volley to both help Momoshiro and himself to both mature and gain the flow of the match during the game against Hyōtei Gakuen Doubles 2, though he didn't hit it at the last line as Oishi did. Kikumaru Bazooka (菊丸バズーカ) 10.Bazooka.jpg|Kikumaru using Kikumaru Bazooka against Kai. kikumaru volleyball.jpg|Kikumaru Bazooka in a beach volleyball match. Eiji spins high up in the air and fires off a powerful ground-stroke while also shouting out "Kikumaru Bazooka!" Sometimes depicted as a smash. Seal Step (印のステップ) Eiji uses his natural flexibility and speed to move from one location to a new one the moment the opponent's eyes leave his first location. This gives the opponent the impression that there are two of him for a doppelganger type effect. Synchronization (同調) When playing in the nationals with Oishi as his doubles 1 partner, they become fully synchronized and moved as if they were one; breathing as one and knowing exactly what their partner's next move would be. He and Oishi can now go into 'synchro' willingly. U-17 Camp Stats *Speed: 4 *Technique: 4 *Mental: 2 *Stamina: 4 *Power: 2 Category:Character Subpages